Why did my elderly dog growl at her food?

Elderly dogs have instances of growling on their food. However, if they have more weird behaviors that you are not used to seeing, they might be having dementia. Their eyesight might also start to deteriorate, or they are in pain or discomfort from a toothache, injury, or worse, illness.

Why older dogs do weird things?

Dog dementia

When older dogs start to do weird things, they might have dementia already.

As their cognitive functions start to get disrupted by dementia, they also start to get easily confused, have memory loss, and their behaviors begin to get altered.

These changes can lead them to start doing weird things.

If this happens, you should visit a licensed veterinarian to check on your pet and better understand its condition.

Deteriorating vision

Another reason old dogs do weird things may be due to deteriorated vision.

They can misinterpret their surroundings, which can lead to being disoriented.

And with it, they can start to develop fear and anxiety as they are unable to familiarize themselves with their environment.

The fear and anxiety will cause the dogs to show weird behaviors you might never have seen before.

Health issues

Pain and discomfort are also other good reasons your dog is showing weird behaviors you might never have seen before from them.

Although there can be a variety of reasons why your dog is experiencing some pain and discomfort, here are some of the most common causes for this to happen:

• Injury.
• Aging.
• Illness.
• Toothache.

If you notice that your dogs are showing signs of weird behaviors, you should immediately bring them to a licensed veterinarian to check them out thoroughly.

What to do if my elderly dog has dementia?

Be more present

Dementia is never good news for us owners, even the dogs themselves.

But with the situation, it is also our best time to step into our role as their best friend.

This means that we have to be more present for them. 

They will need a figure they can rely on as their ailment gets more complex.

Even if you have already created a bond with them in their younger days, this time, you will need to be closer and present for them. 

Establish a routine

Aside from establishing rapport, one of our responsibilities as dog owners is establishing a routine with our dogs.

Whether you walk with them in the morning or bring them to the park, having an established routine gives them peace of mind, as they have a better idea of what to expect. 

As dogs with dementia can start to get forgetful, establishing a routine is essential to help slow down the effects that come with the ailment.

Whether you start to feed or play with them at an exact time, having an established routine will help them in these hard times.

Provide mental stimulation

Mental stimulation with dogs can help slow down the effects of dementia.

Yes, although there is no cure for dementia, its effects can still be slowed down.

There are some things you can use or do to stimulate their minds, like:

• Use dog toys.
• Play scent games.
• Use puzzle feeders.
• Have gentle walks with them.
• Do some short training sessions.